Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

On 16th August 1977, Elvis Presley was found dead lying on the floor in his bathroom by his girlfriend Ginger Alden, he had been seated on the toilet reading ‘The Scientific Search For Jesus’. He died of heart failure at the age of 42. His first record for RCA, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, was also his first US No.1. He starred in 31 films. Elvis holds the record for the most entries on the US Hot 100 chart with 154.

In 1960, after completing his national service and flying back to America, he stepped on British soil for the first and only time in his life when the plane carrying him stopped for refuelling at Prestwick Airport, Scotland.

Elvis made his first ever public appearance in a talent contest at the Mississippi, Alabama Dairy Show, singing ‘Old Shep’, Elvis was 10 years old at the time and came second.

He was fired from his job at Loew’s State Theatre during 1952 after punching a fellow usher who told the manager that Elvis was getting free candy from the girl at the concession stand.

Elvis Presley was a big Monty Python fan. His favourite film was The Holy Grail. It was in his video recorder when he died.
In 1957, Elvis was rushed to a Los Angles hospital after swallowing a porcelain cap from one of his front teeth which then lodged itself in one of his lungs.

Sheet metal worker Louis Balint punched Elvis at a Hotel in Toledo claiming that his wife’s love for the singer had caused his marriage to break up. Balint was fined $19.60 but ended up being jailed after he was unable to pay the fine.

In 1957, Elvis purchased the stately mansion ‘Graceland’ in Whitehaven, Memphis. He paid $102,500 for the property which had previously been used by the Graceland Christian Church.

In 1958, Elvis Presley’s ‘Hound Dog’, exceeded three million copies in the USA, becoming only the third single to do so ( Bing Crosby’s White Christmas & Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer by Gene Autry being the other two).

In 1988, Hound Dog was named the most played record of all time on American Juke Boxes.

Elvis became the first rock ‘n’ roll artist to be honoured by the US Postal Service with a commemorative stamp.

Elvis has scored 21 UK No.1 singles, had 130 UK hit singles and spent over 1170 weeks on the UK singles chart. Making him the No.1 act of all time.

In 1997, a report showed that Elvis was the worlds best selling posthumous entertainer. With world-wide sales over 1 billion, over 480 active fanclubs and an estimated 250,000 UK fans still buying his records.

In Switzerland it is illegal to cut a front lawn while dressed as Elvis Presley.

The lightest Elvis ever weighed as a six foot tall adult was 170 lbs in 1960 following his discharge from the U.S. Army. The heaviest was at the time of his death, which was 260 lbs.

Elvis became a karate blackbelt in 1960 and went on to use karate moves in his stage shows.

Preseucoila imallshookupis is a species of gall wasp derived from the Elvis Presley song ‘All Shook Up’.

In 1977 there were 170 Elvis impersonators. By 2002 there were 85,000. At that rate of growth, by 2019 a third of the world’s population will be Elvis impersonators

I’m tired of trying to find someone to have ads on my website, but no takers. I’ve signed up and no words from them, so I’m going to refuse anyone who contacts me with their ads. I’m losing money on my website, but I don’t care. If I have to go through hoops for ads, then I don’t want any !!!

Recorded on 30th July 1963, McCartney came up with the lyrics while shaving and was the first song he wrote the words first for. He has stated that he wrote the majority of the song while on a tour bus and then completed the song when he arrived at that evening’s gig.

Though it was not released as a single in the United Kingdom or the United States, the track received considerable radio airplay, prompting EMI to issue it as the title track of an EP.

McCartney originally envisioned it as a country & western song, and George Harrison added a Nashville-style guitar solo. John Lennon’s rhythm guitar track uses quickly strummed triplets similar to “Da Doo Ron Ron” by The Crystals, a song that was popular at the time. When talking about the track in 1980, John Lennon said: “…it’s a damn good piece of work…. I play a pretty mean guitar in back.”

Another Day

Recorded in New York in December 1970, when released in February 1971, it gave McCartney his first solo hit, peaking at number five in the US and number two in the UK in March 1971. Although this was the first single of McCartney’s solo career, the song was written and previewed during The Beatles Let It Be Sessions in 1969.

Released to tie-in with McCartney’s second solo album Ram, the song wasn’t included on the original pressings of the album. The lyrics describe the drudgery and sadness of an unnamed woman’s life at work and at home.

And I Love Her

Taken from The Beatles third album, A Hard Day’s Night, written mainly by McCartney, this McCartney song saw John Lennon contributing the middle eight section.

The song was written in the music room in the basement of the house in Wimpole Street, London, which belonged to Jane Asher’s parents, (Paul’s girlfriend at the time), Lennon and McCartney wrote many of their mid-period songs together in the room.

The Beatles performed “And I Love Her” just once outside of Abbey Road Studios; on 14 July 1964 they played it for an edition of the BBC’s Top Gear radio show

Back In The USSR

The opening track from The White Album, McCartney wrote this while The Beatles were in Rishikesh, India, learning Transcendental Meditation.

Inspired by Chuck Berry’s “Back In The USA” and with a large nudge to The Beach Boys (with the definitive Beach Boy “Oooeeeeoooo” in the background harmonies), the opening track on The White album saw The Beatles playing high energy rock n roll at their best.

McCartney stated in 1968, “In my mind it’s just about a (Russian) spy who’s been in America for a long time and he’s become very American but when he gets back to the USSR he’s saying, ‘Leave it ’til tomorrow to unpack my case, Honey, disconnect the phone.’

Band On The Run

The title song from Paul McCartney & Wings’ acclaimed 1974 Band On The Run album. The song has a three-part structure that revolves around the themes of escape and liberation and tells a story about a band being confined to prison and then escaping.

The single sold one million copies in 1974 in the United States, where it reached number 1, and it went to number 3 in the United Kingdom.

A cover version of “Band on the Run” was recorded in 2007 by Foo Fighters and on 1 June 2008 McCartney was joined onstage by Foo Fighters lead singer Dave Grohl for a special performance in Liverpool. Grohl played guitar and sang backing vocals on “Band on the Run” and then played drums on Beatles songs “Back in the U.S.S.R.” and “I Saw Her Standing There”.

Blackbird

Inspired by J.S. Bach’s Bourrée in E minor, a well known lute piece, often played on the classical guitar. McCartney was inspired to write this while in Scotland as a reaction to racial tensions escalating in the United States in the spring of 1968.

As children, McCartney and George Harrison tried to learn Bourrée as a “show off” piece. The Bourrée is distinguished by melody and bass notes played simultaneously on the upper and lower strings. McCartney adapted a segment of the Bourrée (reharmonized into the original’s relative major key of G) as the opening of “Blackbird,” and carried the musical idea throughout the song.

The song was recorded on 11 June 1968 in EMI Studios, as solo performance with McCartney playing a Martin D 28 acoustic guitar. The track includes recordings of a blackbird singing in the background.

Bluebird

Originally released on the Paul McCartney and Wings’ album Band on the Run. The singer tells his lover that when he, as a bluebird, kisses her she can also become a bluebird, at which point they become absolutely free.

The refrain is simply a rhythmic chart based on the phrase “I’m a Bluebird” sung by Paul McCartney with Linda and Denny Laine providing harmony.

McCartney & Wings (with Joe English and Jimmy McCulloch) recorded “Bluebird” along with an apology to Japanese fans for their being unable to tour in Japan after he was denied entry into the country.
Eleanor Rigby

Released on 5th Aug 1966, on The Beatles’ classic album Revolver, McCartney said he came up with the name Eleanor from actress Eleanor Bron, who had starred with The Beatles in the film Help!.

Rigby came from the name of a store in Bristol, Rigby & Evens Ltd, Wine & Spirit Shippers, that he noticed while seeing his then-girlfriend Jane Asher act in The Happiest Days Of Your Life.

In the 1980s, a grave of an Eleanor Rigby was “discovered” in the graveyard of St. Peter’s Parish Church in Woolton, Liverpool, and a few yards away from that, another tombstone with the last name McKenzie scrawled across it. During their teenage years, McCartney and Lennon spent time sunbathing there, within earshot of where the two had met for the first time during a fete in 1957. Many years later McCartney stated that the strange coincidence between reality and lyric could be a product of his subconscious, rather than being a meaningless fluke.

Every Night

The song was written by McCartney while he was on holiday in Greece, and first released on his first solo album McCartney on April 17, 1970. The lyrics for the song recounted how McCartney had found solace in the domesticity he enjoyed with his wife Linda.

McCartney sings and plays acoustic guitar, bass and drums on this recording. His wife Linda, is heard singing the “woo woos” during the refrain of the song, with Paul ad-libbing in the second and final chorus of the song. (“Believe me, Mama”)

Paul first premiered the song during The Beatles’ Get Back/Let It Be Sessions. The group messed around with the song on 21 and 24 January 1969 (a brief run through and John Lennon on slide guitar; respectively).

The Fool On The Hill

Written at his father’s house in Liverpool, and recorded in 1967. It was included on the Magical Mystery Tour EP and album, and presented in the Magical Mystery Tour film, with a promotional film for the track shot near Nice, in France.

McCartney first played the song for John Lennon during a writing session for “With a Little Help from My Friends”.

The Beatles were no longer performing regular concerts when “The Fool on the Hill” was released, so they never played the song live. Paul McCartney first performed it live with Wings on their 1979 tour of the UK.

Heart Of The Country

Written by Paul and Linda the song appears as the opening track on side 2 (when first issued on vinyl), on the album Ram released in 1971. The album reached number 1 in Britain and number 2 in the US, where it spent over five months in the Top 10 and went platinum. The album has now sold over two million copies worldwide.

The song has an unusually mellow sound to the acoustic guitar that was achieved by tuning all of the strings a full step lower than standard pitch. The topic is as simple as the title, a man searching for a farm in the middle of nowhere.

Here, There & Everywhere

Recorded for The Beatles 1966 album Revolver, McCartney mentioned in the 1989 radio series McCartney on McCartney that the much-praised vocals were meant to have a “Beach Boys” sound and feel.

In his biography Many Years From Now, McCartney said the song is one of his favourites. Beatles’ producer George Martin has also mentioned it as one of his favourite McCartney songs. John Lennon said in his 1980 Playboy interview it was “one of my favourite songs of the Beatles.”
Hey Jude

The ballad evolved from “Hey Jules”, a song widely accepted as being written to comfort John Lennon’s son, Julian, during his parents’ divorce.

When Paul introduced John Lennon to his new composition, he came to “the movement you need is on your shoulder” and told Lennon “I’ll fix that bit.” Lennon asked why, and McCartney answered “…it’s a stupid expression; it sounds like a parrot.” Lennon told Paul it was the best line in the song and to leave it in. McCartney has later said “…when I play that song, that’s the line when I think of John, and sometimes I get a little emotional during that moment.” “Hey Jude” became the biggest-selling debut release for a record label ever, selling an estimated eight million copies worldwide and topping the charts in eleven countries.

I’m Looking Through You

The track which first appeared on The Beatles’ 1965 album Rubber Soul was written about actress Jane Asher, McCartney’s girlfriend for five years. “You don’t look different, but you have changed,” the lyrics declare, reflecting his dissatisfaction with their relationship.

Back in the Beatles’ early days, working at Abbey Road was expensive so rather than recording the song again, any small mistakes were frequently ignored. This explains why at around 1:20 on this track, if you listen carefully you can hear Paul McCartney dropping his tambourine.

The Muppets performed this on an early episode of The Muppet Show. The Halloween skit featured slightly transparent Muppet ghosts.
I’ve Just Seen A Face

Taken from The Beatles 1965 United Kingdom album Help!, The song was recorded on 14 June 1965 at Abbey Road Studios in London in the same session as “Yesterday”

Before its release, the song was briefly titled “Aunty Gin’s Theme” after his father’s youngest sister, because it was one of her favourites. It is one of very few Beatles songs that lacks a bass track.

Paul has stated, “It was slightly country and western from my point of view… it was faster, though, it was a strange uptempo thing. I was quite pleased with it. The lyric works; it keeps dragging you forward, it keeps pulling you to the next line, there’s an insistent quality to it that I liked.”

I Will

Another song worked on by The Beatles while in Rishikesh, India, and found on The White Album, “I Will” has McCartney on acoustic guitar, vocals and ‘vocal bass.’

In the televised documentary The Beatles Anthology, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr are shown relaxing on a blanket outside. Starr asks McCartney what he wrote in India and McCartney answers, “I Will.” Then Harrison begins playing this on his ukulele while he and McCartney harmonize with it.

Junk

Written by McCartney in 1968 while The Beatles were in India with the working title “Jubilee”, the song was considered for The Beatles (White Album) and Abbey Road. It was eventually released on McCartney’s debut solo album McCartney in 1970.

On his first album release, McCartney performed (and recorded) the entire album solo, playing bass, drums, acoustic guitar, lead guitar, piano, Mellotron, organ, toy xylophone, as well as all vocals.

The album featuring loosely arranged (and in some cases, unfinished) home recordings, shot to number 1 in the United States for three weeks, eventually going double platinum.
Live And Let Die

One of Wings’ most successful singles, and the most successful Bond theme to that point, the track was commissioned specifically for the movie and credited to Paul McCartney and his wife Linda. It reunited McCartney with Beatles producer George Martin, who both produced the song and arranged the orchestral break. “Live and Let Die” was the first James Bond theme song to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song (garnering Paul his second Academy Award nomination and Linda her first), but lost to the theme song from The Way We Were.

Mamunia

Meaning ‘safe haven’ in Arabic, Mamunia was the name of a house in Lagos, Nigeria, the city where much of Wings’ 1973 album Band On The Run was recorded. The song was inspired by a 1973 visit Wings made to Tunisia. In the song, rain acts as a metaphor for rebirth and renewal.

Band On The Run was Wings’ third album and it became their most successful album and remains the most celebrated of McCartney’s post-Beatles albums. It was 1974’s top-selling studio album in the United Kingdom and Australia, and revitalised McCartney’s critical standing.

Michelle

Released on The Beatles 1965 album Rubber Soul, the song was one of McCartney’s oldest, having been started in around 1959. He composed the tune on his first ever guitar, a Zenith, which he still owns.

The middle eight section to the song was co-written with John Lennon. “Michelle” won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1967, and has become one of the most famous Beatles songs in France. In 1999, BMI named “Michelle” as the 42nd most performed song of the 20th century.

Mother Nature’s Son

Released on The Beatles 1968 White Album, and inspired by a lecture on nature given by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India, McCartney is the only Beatle on the track where he recorded his vocals and acoustic guitar simultaneously.

McCartney recorded it on 9 August 1968. He recorded 25 takes, take 24 was perceived to be the best. McCartney recorded overdubs of timpani, another guitar, and drums the next day. The drums sound more like bongos and this was achieved by putting the drums halfway down an uncarpeted corridor with the mics at a far end which resulted in a staccato sound.

Mull Of Kintyre

Written by Paul McCartney and Denny Laine, the song was written in tribute to the picturesque Kintyre peninsula in Scotland, where McCartney has owned High Park Farm since 1966, and its headland, the Mull of Kintyre.

It became the first single to sell over two million copies in the UK and became Wings’ biggest hit in the United Kingdom where it became the 1977 Christmas number one, spending a total of nine weeks at the top of the chart.

The most successful track from the 1973 album Red Rose Speedway, McCartney wrote it about his feelings for his wife Linda.

The song which was recorded live with an orchestra at Olympic Studios, contains a guitar solo by the Irish guitarist Henry McCullough, then part of the Wings line-up.

“My Love” was released as a single in March 1973, reaching number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 9 on the UK Singles Chart.

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

Featured on The Beatles 1968 White Album, McCartney wrote the song around the time that highlife and reggae were beginning to become popular in Britain.

The tag line “ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, bra” was an expression used by Nigerian conga player Jimmy Scott-Emuakpor, an acquaintance of McCartney.

When singing the vocals for the song, specifically the last verse of the song when sung the second time, McCartney made a slip and said “Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face”, rather than Molly, and had Molly letting “the children lend a hand”. Reportedly, this mistake was kept in because the other Beatles liked it.

Picasso’s Last Words

On vacation in Montego Bay, Jamaica, McCartney met Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen who were filming Papillonon on the island.

After a dinner with Hoffman, with McCartney playing around on guitar, Hoffmann didn’t believe that McCartney could write a song “about anything”, so Hoffman pulled out a magazine where they saw the story of the death of Pablo Picasso and his famous last words, “Drink to me, drink to my health. You know I can’t drink anymore.” Paul created wrote the song and lyrics on the spot.

While recording Band on the Run in Lagos, Nigeria, Wings were invited to former Cream drummer Ginger Baker’s ARC Studios in the nearby suburb of Ikeja. While Baker insisted to Paul that they should record the entire album there, he was reluctant and agreed he would spend one day there. “Picasso’s Last Words” was recorded during that time and Baker contributed by playing a tin can full of gravel.

She’s Leaving Home

Released on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the song was written after reading a story in the newspaper about a young girl who’d left home and not been found, McCartney wrote and sang the verse and Lennon the chorus. This was one of a handful of songs of the Beatles in which the members did not play any instruments.

The day before McCartney wanted to work on the string arrangement, he learned that George Martin was not available to do the score. He contacted Mike Leander, who did it in Martin’s place. It was the first time a Beatles song was not arranged by Martin.
We Can Work It Out

Released as a “double A-sided” single in December 1965 with “Day Tripper”, the first time both sides of a single were so designated in an initial release. Both songs were recorded during the Rubber Soul sessions. McCartney wrote the words and music to the verses and the chorus, with Lennon contributing to the middle section.

“We Can Work It Out” was the last of six number one singles in a row on the American charts, a record at the time. It was preceded by “I Feel Fine”, “Eight Days a Week”, “Ticket to Ride”, “Help!”, and “Yesterday”

When I’m 64

One of the first songs McCartney wrote, when he was 16, and released in 1967 on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Beatles used it in the early days as a song they could play when the amplifiers broke down or the electricity went off.

The song was recorded on 6 December 1966, during one of the first sessions for the as-yet-unnamed album that became Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

With A Little Help From My Friends

Written by Lennon and McCartney, released on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967. The song was written for and sung by Ringo Starr, as the character “Billy Shears”.

It was briefly called “Bad Finger Boogie” (later the inspiration for the band name Badfinger), supposedly because Lennon composed the melody on a piano using his middle finger after having hurt his forefinger.

The Beatles started recording the song the day before they posed for the Sgt. Pepper album cover (29 March 1967)

Yesterday

One of the most covered songs in the history of recorded music, Yesterday was recorded by The Beatles for their 1965 album Help!.

According to biographers, McCartney composed the entire melody in a dream one night and upon waking, he hurried to a piano and played the tune to avoid forgetting it.

McCartney’s initial concern was that he had subconsciously plagiarised someone else’s work and for about a month went round to people in the music business and asked them whether they had ever heard it before.

Ostensibly simple, featuring only McCartney playing an Epiphone Texan steel-string acoustic guitar and backed by a string quartet in one of the Beatles’ first use of session musicians.

I couldn’t believe it, I tried my best to have ads, but I don’t like what I have to do to keep them here, so I refuse to go after ads. If there’s a company that wants ads here, then let’s text, but I will never search for any, on my own !!!

Thailand is governed by the National Council for Peace and Order that took power in the May 2014 coup d’état. Its monarchy is headed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has reigned since 1946 as Rama IX, as he is the ninth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty. He is currently the world’s longest-serving head of state and the country’s longest-reigning monarch; he has reigned for 70 years, 38 days.

With a total area of approximately 513,000 km2 (198,000 sq mi), Thailand is the world’s 51st-largest country. It is the 20th-most-populous country in the world, with around 66 million people. The capital and largest city is Bangkok, which is Thailand’s political, commercial, industrial, and cultural hub. About 75–95% of the population is ethnically Tai, which includes four major regional groups: central Thai, northeastern Thai (Khon [Lao] Isan), northern Thai (Khon Mueang); and southern Thai. Thai Chinese, those of significant Chinese heritage, are 14% of the population, while Thais with partial Chinese ancestry comprise up to 40% of the population. Thai Malays represent 3% of the population, with the remainder consisting of Mons, Khmers and various “hill tribes”. The country’s official language is Thai and the primary religion is Theravada Buddhism, which is practised by around 95% of the population.

Thailand experienced rapid economic growth between 1985 and 1996, becoming a newly industrialised country and a major exporter. Manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism are leading sectors of the economy. Among the ten ASEAN countries, Thailand ranks third in quality of life. and the country’s HDI is rated as “high”. Its large population and growing economic influence have made it a middle power in the region and around the world.

Flag of Texas
State of Texas
Name The Lone Star Flag
Use Civil and state flag
Proportion 2:3
Adopted January 25, 1839
Readopted: August 31, 1933 (De facto use between 1879-1933)
Design ⅓ of the hoist is blue containing a single centered white star. The remaining field is divided horizontally into a white and red bar.
Designed by Unknown
The flag of the state of Texas is defined by law as follows:

The state flag is a rectangle that: (1) has a width to length ratio of two to three; and (2) contains: (A) one blue vertical stripe that has a width equal to one-third the length of the flag; (B) two equal horizontal stripes, the upper stripe white, the lower stripe red, each having a length equal to two-thirds the length of the flag; and (C) one white, regular five-pointed star: (i) located in the center of the blue stripe; (ii) oriented so that one point faces upward; and (iii) sized so that the diameter of a circle passing through the five points of the star is equal to three-fourths the width of the blue stripe.

The Texas flag is known as the “Lone Star Flag” (giving rise to the state’s nickname “The Lone Star State”). The current design of the flag was introduced to the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 28, 1838, by Senator William H. Wharton, was adopted on January 25, 1839, and eventually became the current state flag. The flag, flown at homes and businesses statewide, is highly popular among Texans and is treated with a great degree of reverence and esteem within Texas. In 2001, a survey conducted by the North American Vexillological Association rated the Texas state flag second best in design quality out of the 72 Canadian provincial, U.S. state, and U.S. territory flags ranked. The flag earned 8.13 out of 10 possible points.
Lone Star Flag, flying on the Houston Ship Channel tour boat, on April 2, 2016.
This flag was introduced to the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 28, 1838, by Senator William H. Wharton and was adopted on January 25, 1839, as the final national flag of the Republic of Texas. When Texas became the 28th state of the Union on December 29, 1845, the national flag became the state flag. From 1879 until 1933 there was no official state flag, although the Lone Star remained the de facto state flag. The Revised Civil Statutes of 1879 repealed all statutes not explicitly renewed and since the statutes pertaining to the flag were not among those renewed, Texas was formally flagless until the passage of the Texas Flag Code in 1933.

The actual designer of the flag is unknown. Dr. Charles B. Stewart is credited with drawing the image used by the Third Congress when enacting the legislation adopting the flag, and Sen. William H. Wharton introduced the flag to Congress.

The exact shades of red, white, and blue to be used in the flag are specified by Texas statute to be the same as those of the flag of the United States, which are as follows:

Color Cable color Pantone Web color RGB Values
Dark Red 70180 193 C #BF0A30 (191,10,48)
White 70001 Safe #FFFFFF (255,255,255)
Royal Blue (traditional) 70075 281 C #002868 (0,40,104)
The Texas Flag Code assigns the following symbolism to the colors of the Texas flag: blue stands for loyalty, white for purity, and red for bravery. The code also states that single (lone) star “represents ALL of Texas and stands for our unity as one for God, State, and Country.” The “lone star” is, in fact, an older symbol predating the flag which was used to symbolize Texans’ solidarity in declaring independence from Mexico. It is still seen today as a symbol of Texas’ independent spirit, and gave rise to the state’s official nickname “The Lone Star State.”

The idea of the single red stripe and single white stripe actually dates back to the short-lived Republic of Fredonia, a small state near modern Nacogdoches which seceded from Mexico in 1826 before being forcibly re-integrated. The new state was formed through an alliance between local Anglo settlers and Native American tribes and the Fredonian flag used a white and red stripe to symbolize the two ethnic/racial groups from which the state was formed. Though this rebellion ultimately failed it served as an inspiration to the later Texas Revolution.
Proper vertical display of the Texas flag
The pledge of allegiance to the state flag is as follows:

“ Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible. ”
The pledge was instituted by the Texas Legislature in 1933, and originally referred to the “Texas flag of 1836” (which was the Burnet Flag, and not the Lone Star Flag then in use). In 1965, the error was corrected by deleting the words “of 1836.” In 2007, the phrase “one state under God” was added. The addition of “under God” has been challenged in court, though an injunction was denied.

The flag is required by law to be displayed on or near the main administration building of each state institution during each state or national holiday, and on any special occasion of historical significance, permanently above both doors of the Texas State Capitol, alone at the north door, and under the U.S. flag at the south door, with the exception being if the flags are at half mast or if the POW/MIA flag is being flown with the U.S. flag; in which event the Texas flag shall only fly at the North Door. State law also requires that the state flag be flown at or near any International Port of Entry. When displayed vertically, the blue stripe should be at top and, from the perspective of an observer, the white stripe should be to the left of the red stripe.

1685–1689
French flag possibly used by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, during the French colonization of Texas

1690–1785
State flag and ensign of New Spain, also known as the Cross of Burgundy flag

1785–1820
Spanish state flag on land

1821–1823
Flag of the first Mexican Empire

1823–1836
First flag of the Mexican Republic, flown over soil claimed by Mexico until the Texas Revolution

1836–1839; 1839–1879
The “Burnet Flag,” used from December 1836 to 1839 as the national flag of the Republic of Texas until it was replaced by the currently used “Lone Star Flag”; it was the de jure war flag from then until 1879

1839–1845/1846
Republic of Texas national flag from 1839-1845/1846 (identical to modern state flag)

1845–1861, 1865–present
US flag in 1846 when Texas became part of the Union (for further US flags, see USA flag: Historical progression of designs)

1861–1865
CS flag in 1861 when Texas became a part of the Confederacy (for further CS flags, see CS flag: National flags)
During revolutionary eras of Texas history, during the Spanish Texas period, Mexican Texas period, and the times of the Texas Revolution, a great number and variety of flags appeared.
Emerald flag of Augustus W. Magee and Bernardo Gutierrez’s short-lived coup of 1812-1813

1816–17 – Used by Louis Michel Aury as Civil and Military Governor of Texas

1817–21 – Used by pirate Jean Lafitte at Galveston Island

Colonel James Long’s flag – the second of the Texas flags with a Lone Star after the “Jane Long” flag

1826 – Flag of the Fredonian Rebellion

The Come and Take It Flag – 1835 – This flag was used by Texas settlers at the Battle of Gonzales in October 1835

1835 – Flag Flown over the Goliad Declaration of Independence; possibly the “Bloody arm flag” reported to have accompanied the Dodson flag at the Texas Declaration of Independence

“The Alamo Flag” – 1835–1836 – Created in 1835, this flag was a reference to the Mexican constitution of 1824, in support of which the Texas rebels were fighting; supposedly flew at the Alamo

1836 – Brown Flag of Independence, possibly the “Bloody arm flag” reported to have accompanied the Dodson flag at the Texas Declaration of Independence

The Dodson Tricolor or the Dodson Flag – Designed and sewn by a Mrs. Sarah Dodson during the Revolution

Flag designed by Stephen F. Austin between December 1835 and January 1836 while serving as a commissioner to the United States

1836–1839; 1839–1879
The “Burnet Flag,” used from 1836 to 1839 as the national flag of the Republic of Texas until it was replaced by the currently used “Lone Star Flag”; it was the de jure war flag from then until 1879.

1836–39 – The Lone Star and Stripes/Ensign of the First Texas Navy/War Ensign ; it was the de facto national flag between 1835-1839

The purported first official flag of the Republic of Texas, reportedly designed by Lorenzo de Zavala

Captain William Scott’s Liberals carried this flag in the Battle of Concepcion on October 28, 1835

The flag under which the Georgia Battalion of Volunteers marched to Texas to participate in the fight against Mexico

Inspired by Gail Borden Jr., this flag was claimed to have been flown at the Battle of San Jacinto

Captain George H. Burroughs and company from Ohio came to Texas under this banner

The New Orleans Grays participated in driving the Mexicans from San Antonio and many were massacred at Goliad

The flag of the Red Rovers of Alabama who were massacred with Colonel James Fannin at the Battle of Goliad on March 27, 1836

San Jacinto Liberty Flag – The Sherman regiment carried this flag to victory at the decisive battle of San Jacinto

1840 – Republic of the Rio Grande, which claimed control over a large section of South Texas

The Lone Star and Stripes/Ensign of the First Texas Navy/War Ensign flag was widely used by both Texan land and naval forces. This flag was simply the United States flag with a Lone star in the canton. This flag echoes an earlier design, carried by the forces of James Long in failed 1819 and 1821 attempts to separate Texas from Spanish control. This earlier flag was exactly the same, save for the canton having a red background rather than blue. There is evidence that the Lone Star and Stripes was used at the battles of Goliad, the Alamo, and San Jacinto. Although interim President David Burnet issued a decree making the Lone Star and Stripes the first official flag of the Republic of Texas, it never became the legal national flag. It did remain the naval flag of Texas until annexation, and was noted for being “beneficial to our [Texan] Navy and Merchantmen” due to its resemblance to the U.S. flag. Despite its unofficial status, the flag remained well known inside the region and internationally as the symbol of Texas. The official blue and gold “Burnett Flag,” on the other hand, was little known by Texans, and no contemporary illustrations of it have been discovered. An 1837 chart of national flags printed in Philadelphia showed the Lone Star and Stripes as the national flag of Texas, and Texas Senator Oliver Jones, who led the 1839 committee which approved the Lone Star Flag, was unaware that the Lone Star and Stripes was not the current official flag. Later, prior to the American Civil War, this flag was carried by Floridian militiamen in Pensacola during the seizure of U.S. property in that city.

The “Come and Take It Flag” was created by the people of Gonzales, featuring the phrase, a black five pointed star, and the image of the town cannon Mexican forces had demanded they turn over. In March 1831, Juan Gomez, a Lieutenant in the Mexican Army, granted a small cannon to the colony of San Antonio. The small bronze cannon was received by the colony and signed for by Randy Tumlinson. It was then transported to Gonzales, Texas and later was the object of Texas pride. At the minor skirmish known as the Battle of Gonzales, a small group of Texans successfully resisted the Mexican forces who had orders to seize their cannon. As a symbol of defiance, the Texans had fashioned a flag containing the phrase along with a black star and an image of the cannon which they had received six years earlier from Mexican officials.

The so-called “Alamo Flag” or “1824 flag” was created by replacing the Eagle in the center of the Mexican tricolor with the year “1824,” referencing the 1824 Constitution of Mexico, in support of which Texas was fighting. This was the first flag approved for use by rebel forces by a Texan legislative body. In 1835, the Texan provisional government approved the use of this flag for privateers preying on Mexican commerce. It has often been said that the 1824 flag was flown by Texan forces at the Battle of the Alamo. However, this was never alleged until 1860, long after the battle had occurred. Modern writers have pointed out that the presence of the 1824 flag at the time and place of the battle is highly unlikely. A similar flag was flown at least briefly by Texan Tejano forces, featuring two black, six pointed stars in place of the date. It is likely that the actual “Alamo flag” referred to by accounts of the time was the Lone Star and Stripes, which had been depicted in use at earlier battles such as Goliad, and was widely referred to as the “Texian flag.”

The Dodson Tricolor or Dodson flag was designed and sewn by a Mrs. Sarah Dodson during the Revolution. It resembled the flag of Revolutionary France, but with longer proportions and the Texan Lone Star in the canton. Stephen F. Austin was initially so alarmed by the obvious symbolism that he requested the flag not be used, but it nevertheless flew over Texan forces in Cibolo Creek, and may have been the first Texan flag raised over San Antonio. The flag was one of two that flew over the small cabin in which Texas delegates ratified their declaration of independence.

1836–1839; 1839–1879
The “Burnet Flag,” used from 1836 to 1839 as the national flag of the Republic of Texas until it was replaced by the currently used “Lone Star Flag”; it was the de jure war flag from then until 1879

1836–1839
War ensign and de facto national flag between 1835–1839; replaced by the currently used “Lone Star Flag” upon its adoption; it was also the ensign of the First Texas Navy from 1836–1839, when it was officially replaced by the “Lone Star Flag” as the naval ensign

1839–1845/6
The “Lone Star Flag,” the Republic of Texas national flag from 1839-1845/6; official naval ensign for the Texas Navy from 1839

1839–1845
Revenue Service Flag

1839–1845
Coasting Trader Ensign

1839–1845
Pilot flag

The Burnet Flag was adopted by the Texan Congress on December 10, 1836. The name refers David G. Burnet, who was provisional president of the Republic of Texas when the flag was adopted. It consisted of an azure background with a large golden star, inspired by the 1810 “Bonnie Blue Flag” of the Republic of West Florida. Variants of the Burnet Flag with a white star, virtually identical to the Bonnie Blue Flag, were also common. Other variants featured the star (of either color) upside down, and/or ringed with the word TEXAS, with each letter filling one of the gaps of the star.

1824–1835
Flag of the State of Coahuila y Tejas in the Republic of Mexico

1845–present
Flag of the State of Texas in the United States of America

Secession flags of Texas, 1861 Edit
In early 1861, between the secession of Texas from the US and its accession to the Confederacy, Texas flew an unofficial, variant flag of Texas with fifteen stars, representing the fifteen states. No drawings exist of the flag, there are only imprecise descriptions. The flag may have been based on the state flag or the Bonnie Blue Flag.
Possible secession flag based on the state flag

Possible secession flag based on the Bonnie Blue Flag

Urban legend Edit
The Texas flag flying below the US flag at the Texas State Capitol
It is a common urban legend that the Texas flag is the only state flag that is allowed to fly at the same height as the U.S. flag. Allegedly, Texas has this right inherently (as a former independent nation) or because it negotiated special provisions when it joined the Union (this version has been stated as fact on a PBS website). However, the legend is false. Neither the Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States nor the Ordinance of Annexation contain any provisions regarding flags. According to the United States Flag Code, any state flag can be flown at the same height as the U.S. flag, but the U.S. flag should be on its right (the viewer’s left). Consistent with the U.S. Flag Code, the Texas Flag Code specifies that the state flag should either be flown below the U.S. flag if on the same pole or at the same height as the U.S. flag if on separate poles.

Texas’s flag is similar to the flag of Chile, first used in 1817. However, the Chilean flag has a blue canton with a white star rather than the entire left side being blue. The red bottom stripe begins below the canton. The Chilean Flag predates the Lone Star Flag by 22 years.
As shown above, the Republic of the Rio Grande flag was similar to Texas’ only in that there were three stars with a red hoist, and black and white bars on the side instead of one star with a blue hoist and white and red bars. It is currently the flag of Laredo, Texas, its proposed capital.
The flag of North Carolina is similar to the flag of Texas; North Carolina’s flag has the same basic pattern as Texas’s; however, the colors of the fly are reversed. In addition, the star in the hoist is smaller and is surrounded by scrolls and lettering. The Lone Star Flag predates North Carolina’s current flag by 47 years.
The flag of Texas is quite similar to the “Flag of Céspedes” or “flag of La Demajagua,” one of the two flags used during the Cuban War of Independence.

The generation of the 1960’s was either burning draft cards and protesting about Vietnam War that President JFK (democratic), got us into and President LBJ (democratic), promised us we get out of it, but continue with more troupes, they attack President Richard Millhouse Nixon, because he was a Republican, because Republicans always get us in war, if you don’t believe that war is what Republicans are always the ones that have war with the enemy, then ask President FDR (democratic), why we were in WWII !!!

I’m done with my list of what have in my post of The Alphabet. I didn’t know that I have so many performers, that’s not from the 1960’s, which makes me think that I should have another website.

Another website would be a waste of time, because I would do the same thing on that one that I do with this one. The only thing that would make it different is the name.

Now that you know what I have and what I like, I’m now going to add more music on each post, which will take place as of tomorrow, but for now, I’m going to play some DVDs and play some games on my iPhone, just to clear my mind.

If editing one post is time consuming, I should rest for a month or two to have my full music and what I can’t find from iTunes, I’ll start uploading my CD’s.

I want to have music videos, from iTunes, so I guess I’ll have to upgrade, so I’ll wait on that, one step at a time. Music first and video second, and seeing that I have 29,329 songs, it be a long time, before any videos from me, will be on my website.

I hope you like my choice on music so far, because I’ll be doing some tomorrow and the next day and weeks to come, so keep visiting and let me know what you think about my website and what you want on it, or post something that you want and if I like it, I’ll accept it and you for more, or I’ll try to find out more about it on my own.

My website is free, with no ads, and I hope to keep it that way. A lot of those ads are phony and annoying anyway.

I’ll be here tomorrow and every day, so please continue reading and enjoy the music !!!